The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 185

Typically, after the first problem-solving session ends, they move on to snack games for killing time.

I remember the production team openly worrying that the runtime would be shortened due to my unexpected performance.

Naturally, Kang Seon-woo, who couldn’t just sit still and watch such a scene.

“Hey, bro. Don’t we have to play around here a bit?”

“…Don’t be ominous like that.”

“Do you know how much I practiced after hearing there would be snack games?”

“I don’t want to know.”

He had expressed his intentions to me in this way.

Though I didn’t want to know what kind of practice he did.

When I had roughly monitored the snack games, I could predict which direction Kang Seon-woo would have prepared for.

[Today’s snack is! Specially for CENTIX who said they love sweets, it’s chocolate & marshmallow s’mores!]

[Wow, amazing.]

[My sugar was low, so this is perfect!]

[And today’s snack game with s’mores at stake is… we can’t not see dancing when we have idols here. It’s the lyric recitation quiz!]

A game where a soulless AI recites specific song lyrics and you have to listen and guess what song it is.

〈Saturday Today〉, which always produces lots of funny content in snack games, has a rule that the correct answerer must perform without exception.

As soon as the quiz category came out, Kang Seon-woo stretching was caught on camera, prompting immediate reactions from the members.

“Ah, that’s why Brother Si-hwan’s expression has been bad since earlier.”

“You finally broke the seal, Brother Seon-woo?”

“I feel like we shouldn’t watch the next segment for our brother’s sake!”

“Hey, you brats. I haven’t done anything yet, so why is everyone reacting like this.”

“Well, because the ending is so obvious?”

Whether the younger members rebelled or not, Kang Seon-woo on screen confidently threw down a challenge.

[Senior Ran! My goal today is to get out faster than you!]

[Ah, no. Hey, I’ve been answering slowly lately too—.]

[I’ll win at performances too!]

[Okay, I can’t lose at this either.]

[(Suddenly ignited nerve war)]

[(Nobody told them to do this…)]

Ran, who has tremendous pride in performances, passionately responded.

But seeing Kang Seon-woo, who never gets intimidated, it seemed like quite a nice picture.

The long-awaited first problem was released.

[I’m going to make today awesome. I prepared a bouquet for you too…]

[Ah, I’m not doing this one. Pass.]

[I know this one too but I’ll just pass. It’s not fun!]

[Hey, you idiots. Some people always want to answer but can’t, so if you know the answer, come out! Don’t pick and choose problems!]

[The excitement needs to build up, but this song isn’t like that at all, sister.]

[I also have a specific feeling I want, so I’ll coolly give up!]

As soon as the monotone machine voice said the lyrics, Kang Seon-woo and Ran figured out the answer.

But they said it wasn’t a song worth performing and went back to their seats.

“That’s annoying, Brother.”

“Right, those seniors over there are dying to eat s’mores.”

“Just wait a few seconds. See what happens.”

“Hm?”

“……”

I quietly kept silent while clasping both hands tightly.

[Is there no one who knows this except those two annoying ones?]

[I learned that you should seize opportunities when they come.]

[(Si-hwan quietly raising his hand?)]

“Brother Si-hwan steals the correct answer here?”

“But isn’t that song by Double Bean Cake seniors?”

“That’s right. Double Bean Cake seniors’ 〈Date〉.”

“Ahahaha! Brother Si-hwan danced to Double Bean Cake seniors’ song again? Hahahaha!”

“…Everyone stay quiet since I’m probably going to be embarrassed.”

Honestly, I could have chosen the song if I wanted to.

But honestly, at that time I wanted to quickly answer the problem and sit down.

…I also wanted to be the first correct answerer due to useless competitive spirit.

It happened to be a song I knew the choreography to as well.

[Ah, Si-hwan, are you going out? Not choosing a song like Seon-woo?]

[Correct. 〈Date〉, Double Bean Cake seniors.]

[Ah, can you say the artist name one more time—!]

[Dou, ble, Bean, Cake seniors.]

[Double spelling one more time—!]

[D, o, u, b, l, e.]

[Hey, man! Stop the spelling brain fart and just shout the correct answer!]

[This won’t pass! Si-hwan, correct answer!]

Even the MC, who enjoys deliberately building tension among the cast, declared surrender.

Ryu Si-hwan, who walked to the front of the studio with a calm face, stood upright and brought both arms in front of his chest.

{Master, why did you become so pale?}

‘Couldn’t you at least close your eyes for me?’

{Absolutely not! I couldn’t even watch that fan meeting stage directly, so I’m definitely going to watch this!}

I was on the verge of being embarrassed even in front of my Yorkshire Terrier.

Cheerful music started playing from the speakers.

Ryu Si-hwan made a flower base under his face while maintaining knife-sharp angles.

[…!]

[No, wait. Why is he dancing so well!]

[Look how his expression doesn’t change at all in the meantime. Oh my.]

[Ahahaha! Ah, why is he so serious! He’s crazy!]

At the time, I had closed my ears and just thought about dancing quickly and going back.

Watching it through the broadcast like this, I could see how much the seniors applauded and burst into laughter.

The most excited one among them was none other than Kang Seon-woo.

[That’s our leader, leader! Isn’t he cute?]

[I’m starting to feel a strange competitive spirit too.]

[Stop talking nonsense. You who always sits down and stands up with the same repertoire, what competitive spirit.]

[I’ve watched and learned a lot of choreography.]

[Ah, Ryu Si-hwan is so cute! He’s definitely a Double Bean Cake song specialist!]

I danced well.

I didn’t miss the beat and perfectly copied choreography that could have looked weird.

Yeah, if it had only come out up to here, I could have breathed a little.

[Ah, awesome! But wait a minute. What did Seon-woo say earlier? That Si-hwan is a specialist?]

[He danced to another Double Bean Cake seniors song recently. At the fan meeting.]

[Ah, I can’t let this pass! What song was it!]

[〈Heart Attack!〉]

I glared at Kang Seon-woo with cold eyes.

“Did you have to mention that?”

“My mouth was loose, but still, how could I hold back! My kid was dancing so cutely and well.”

“You’re dead later.”

“No, why! I danced with you too!”

[Ah, suddenly Seon-woo joins in too!]

[I like this one too! Haha!]

[(The mysterious duo formed in an instant?)]

[(But… why are they dancing so well!)]

Actually, Kang Seon-woo couldn’t control his excitement and came next to me to dance 〈Heart Attack!〉 together.

Even I was a bit amazed watching the screen.

This was a song we’d never matched choreography for before.

But amazingly perfect knife-group dance was created.

[Haa, haa!]

[Ah, this kind of intentional ending fairy is good!]

“Brother Seon-woo, do you have to pretend to be out of breath like that?”

“With someone next to me making a stone statue expression, I had to create the opposite image.”

“Oh, when you put it that way, I understand.”

As I covered my face with both hands, CENTIX’s behind-the-scenes power holder wielded tyranny with an innocuous smile.

“Brother Si-hwan, even your ears are flushed!”

“Oh, really. Brother, it’s okay! You came out cute.”

“…Please stop talking.”

“Brother, should I bring a blanket? Should I cover you?”

“Saying that makes it more miserable, Yu Ha-woon.”

Only after the 〈Heart Attack!〉 that I ended up dancing due to the atmosphere was over could I receive my s’mores.

It was very, very tough, but seeing everyone’s envious expressions made me secretly proud.

Now, my embarrassing play was all over.

Now all that remained was watching my same-age friend go on a rampage.

[This isn’t it either.]

[I’ll pass too.]

[Ah, no! Nooo! Guys, please answer! Please! If you know, come out!]

[Then I’ll at least give you a hint. Is a compromise okay?]

[Oh, good. Give it right now!]

It was Ran who handled the other regular members with skilled ability.

Kang Seon-woo kept grinning, excited about something.

After passing several songs like that.

[Oh, the thrilling feeling. In this space, only you and I exist.]

[Correct!]

[Correct! Correct!]

[We’re going to video review this. Video review!]

Kang Seon-woo and Ran raised their hands almost simultaneously.

The timing was so similar that they had to rewind the tape to check.

The review confirmed that Kang Seon-woo had raised his hand first by a really tiny margin.

[My victory, senior! I’ll eat it deliciously!]

[Ah, really frustrating.]

[It’s okay, Ran! If Seon-woo secretly messes up here.]

[Right, he could mix up the song and artist order—.]

[〈Feeling〉, UpBeat!]

[No mercy at all! Seon-woo, correct answer!]

[Yessss!]

UpBeat, a group that also appeared in 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉.

Since they’re famous for exciting songs, you could tell at a glance that both Kang Seon-woo and Ran would target it.

“You know what?”

“What, what?”

“Before going to filming, Senior UpBeat were in the songs I listened to as last-minute cramming. So I had memorized all their choreography too~.”

“This brother even had luck on his side.”

The studio immediately became Kang Seon-woo’s stage.

The 〈Saturday Today〉 production team with tremendous editing skills seemed to have really done their best.

They added CG lighting like a real music broadcast.

They even added slow motion matching the choreography key points.

Thanks to this, Kang Seon-woo’s wild dance party somehow made it to broadcast looking quite decent.

“He wasn’t like that. When I watched from behind, he was just flailing around chaotically.”

“Oh my, why are you slandering me, Ryu Si-hwan.”

“I just stated my honest impression. Don’t suppress freedom of expression.”

“Tch, you always talk so I can’t even argue back.”

Soon after, Ran also answered a problem correctly and performed, but having already lost the initiative, he looked somewhat unenthusiastic.

[Ah, this is when I lose motivation the most. You did too well up front!]

[Hehe!]

[Don’t throw peace signs like that! It’s annoying!]

The chaotic snack game ended and continued to the second problem.

Unfortunately, neither I nor Kang Seon-woo knew the song that came out.

Since the production team, who were greatly shocked by the first problem, brought out a 90s song.

Chae Ha-ru, who was quietly watching TV, casually dropped a comment.

“You two look tired in the second half.”

“Honestly, we used up all our energy in the snack game.”

“I got reverse-drained because of this guy.”

The regular members who showed strength in 90s problems were active and managed to get the correct answer on the second try.

Just before recording ended, a scene asking about the guests’ performance came out.

[What’s the point. Just play CENTIX’s new song quickly.]

[I had a lot of fun today too. Thanks to you, this dreary studio felt like it had young energy flowing.]

[Thank you! Thank you!]

[I had so much fun today too.]

Since we seemed to have put on a decent performance, we succeeded in getting time to promote our new song.

Listening to the quietly flowing intro of our new song, a strange emotion welled up in me.

I’m looking forward to seeing how far the music video being released in a few days can climb.